LANSING -- A group of Michigan inmates who allege they were sexually assaulted as minors while incarcerated have asked a federal judge to allow their suit against corrections officials to go forward without disclosing their names.

The suit was filed in October by seven inmates being held in state prisons against the Michigan Department of Corrections, Gov. Rick Snyder and 11 current and former wardens. The plaintiffs, identified only as John Does 1-7 in the complaint, allege that as juveniles, they were sexually assaulted by adult inmates and guards, and that the state failed to comply with federal laws protecting juvenile inmates from being housed with adults.

A motion filed Monday asks U.S. District Judge Robert Cleland to allow the plaintiffs to continue their case anonymously, citing the sensitive nature of the claims and the fact that all seven plaintiffs are still inmates in state prisons.

"They have a sincere fear of danger due to their coming forward with the allegations in their complaint," attorneys for the plaintiffs wrote in support of their request.

Lawyers from Attorney General Bill Schuette's office, representing the state, have filed their own motion asking Cleland to require the plaintiffs to provide more information about their claims.

"Despite the numerous paragraphs devoted to each plaintiff’s story, insufficient details are provided that would allow MDOC officials, their attorneys, the police, and prosecutors to investigate these claims, preserve relevant evidence, and make an appropriate response to these serious allegations, sufficient to determine if the allegations have merit or if these events were disclosed to any Defendant contemporaneously, or if this complaint is the first disclosure, such as they are, of the allegations," the state's attorneys argue.

The motion asks Cleland to compel the plaintiffs to file a new complaint detailing the names of each plaintiff, the alleged dates and times of each assault and any reports that were made to prison officials.

The prisons identified in the suit as the site of the attacks are Carson City Correctional Facility, the Charles Egeler Reception and Guidance Center in Jackson, the Earnest C. Brooks Correctional Facility near Muskegon, the Gus Harrison Correctional Facility in Adrian, the Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia, Oaks Correctional Facility in Manistee, Thumb Correctional Facility in Lapeer, Chippewa Correctional Facility in Kincheloe, Marquette Branch Prison and Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility in Ionia.

Cleland has scheduled a hearing on the state's motion for Feb. 12, 2014.